| PUBLIC HEALTH |
Join the Fight Against Underage Vaping “N
o, I don’t smoke. I just vape.” For pediatricians, this response is all too familiar from our adolescent patients during routine health maintenance visits. We are currently in an epidemic of teen vaping, with as many as one in five teens saying they have used e-cigarettes. The 2019-2020 California Student Tobacco Survey revealed 96% of high schoolers in California who vape use flavored vape products. Candy-flavored tobacco and nicotine products can lead to addiction and hook customers for a lifetime. Opya Half Page Ad_Print.pdf 1 6/1/22 6:27 PM E-cigarette use in teens can have significant detrimen-
By Rachel Caynak, MD racaynak@ucdavis.edu
tal effects to their health, prime the developing brain for future addiction and increase the likelihood that they will use traditional cigarettes later in life. Ninety percent of adult smokers smoked their first cigarette before the age of 18, and more than one half of young adults who smoke daily started smoking between ages 6 to 12. Fruit and candy flavors like bubble gum, blue raspberry and root beer have been used in vape pens and electronic cigarettes, making them more attractive to underage users. Colorful and convenient packaging work to glamorize nicotine use. Moreover, while flavorings may seem innocuous, some flavoring chemicals
Opya: Leading Provider of Pediatric Autism Therapies We are a high-quality multidisciplinary provider of in-home therapies for children under age six diagnosed with ASD:
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Applied Behavior Analysis
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Occupational Therapy
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Opya is in network with over 90% of commercial health plans. And we’re a top referral source for nearly 300 pediatricians, child psychologists, and other clinicians in Northern California.
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Refer your pediatric patients today! Phone: (650) 931-6300 | Fax: (650) 931-4108 Info@opyacare.com | opyacare.com/sac
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Sierra Sacramento Valley Medicine